Cafe Iguana

So we discovered Monterrey nightlife. Saturday night we took a cab to 7-Eleven to meet our friend. When we pulled up to the store, we were surprised with the scene: the parking lot was full, and at least 30 people were milling about. They were all dressed in club clothes, and were either loitering or passing through on their way to the bars.

When our companions arrived, we took off on foot up the street. The foot traffic was so tight that it spilled off the sidewalks, stalling all vehicular traffic on the road. Girls in micro-minis and 3-inch-plus heels tottered up the cobblestone road. Music poured out of every doorway. It was only 11pm.

We arrived at our destination, Cafe Iguana. The music was ear-splitting. Andrew and I are unsure how people are supposed to converse, but they all seemed to manage. The club was extremely dark, with many inter-connected rooms. Murals, stone carvings, and a crucifix decorated the walls. Flat-screen TVs near the ceilings showed music videos corresponding to the pounding rock music. The club also had a large room with laser lights dedicated to techno -- a stone Buddha adorned it's wall. There weren't many places to sit, and beer came in both normal bottles and in 1.2 litre bottles (only $5 Canadian). The 1.2L bottles came in a brown paper bag.

The four of us stood around, enjoying the music, and talking sporadically. The club got very busy around 1am, and people continued to pile in. There was no dancing, just people standing, talking (shouting), and nodding their heads to the music. We left slightly after 2am, mostly because we couldn't take the volume or the smoke (anti-smoking laws don't seem to be enforced).

Even at that time of night, the streets outside were still teeming with people, most of them seeming to be just arriving. Overall, it was an interesting evening, especially in terms of people-watching.